COULD the winds of change be finally whistling through the corridors of power in Leinster House for the historically poorly funded Irish Sport Horse industry as Budget Day 2022 looms?

While we have all learned not to hold our breath from past Budget flops for our €816 million industry which supports over 14,000 full-time jobs – and indeed, nearly twice as many part-time jobs – there was a positive response from cross-party politicians to Horse Sport Ireland’s Budget submission and presentation this week. Could the good news story that our industry has to tell finally be on the cusp of being heard?

When it comes to lobbying and putting the best case forward, there’s many lessons that can be learned from some of the most active and polished performers on our national stage. Some lobbying organisations are such true past masters at this near artform that their intensive efforts fall just expertly short of hard-nosed aggression as they push their case(s).

Will Horse Sport Ireland’s presentations and erstwhile efforts this week be enough to unlock more funding for our industry? We will know soon enough.

AIRE Equine Trade Fair

Well done to AIRE for seizing the bull by the horns and organising an Equine Trade Fair at Tipperary Equestrian on October 11th next (see story on bottom right), their efforts to boost equine business across the board are to be applauded.

Meanwhile, all eyes turn to Barcelona CSIO this weekend where, as we went to press yesterday (Friday), Michael Blake’s team of Denis Lynch, Darragh Kenny, Michael Duffy and Michael G. Duffy, were going all out to defend Ireland’s crown.